Players are free to leave ABM - Rexy

KUALA LUMPUR: The decision to leave the Academy of Badminton Malaysia (ABM) is the absolute right of players and it does not mean that the parent body is problematic, said ABM coaching director Rexy Mainaky.

He hopes badminton fans in the country would look at the matter from a positive point of view as they still represent Malaysia despite being professional players.

"I don't think there is any (deficiency of the governing body) because all those (decisions) are made according to the player's convenience as he has his own plan (for his badminton career) already.

"It is not a problem that we are BAM (Badminton Association of Malaysia) like anything else. We try not to say this is not good because in the end we want the best for Malaysia. Maybe they receive an offer (for) better training or something," he told Bernama when met at BAM, Bukit Kiara here today.

Rexy said this when asked about two more national badminton players, women's doubles Anna Cheong and Low Yeen Yuen who are rumoured to be leaving the national team officially at the end of this month.

Men's doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani bade 'goodbye' to ABM on Sept 1.

Earlier, Rexy said that ABM will hold a meeting involving top management on Sept 24 to discuss the reshuffle of the coaching line-up as well as the need to reduce the number of players in the national senior and junior squads.

Meanwhile, he said the coaching line is still trying to improve the performance of the junior players brought into the senior squad to close the gap between them in an effort to 'catch up' with the performance of the country's leading men's doubles, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and the country's leading women's doubles, Pearly Tan- M. Thinah.

"It is true that in the men's doubles category, there are no pairs in the same level as Aaron-Wooi Yik, but they are seeing results while the players in the women's doubles are only 16, 17 and 18 years old and still need time," he said.

-- BERNAMA

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